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HDT's Mk 1 Brings Human Dexterity To Battlefield Robots

HDT Robotics is bringing something new to the battlefield – robotic equipment that’s both modular and capable of humanlike dexterity.

HDT Robotics is the newest division of HDT Global, an Ohio company that provides products to the U.S. and allied militaries, governments, and commercial customers. The division spun off last January, although the group itself has been working within HDT for over three years. Currently, the signature product of the HDT Robotics line right now is the MK 1 Robotic Arm, which is used for explosive disposal and other military applications. Robotic arms aren’t unique, of course, but what makes the MK 1 an interesting product is the history of its development and its modular approach to hardware.

From Prosthetics To Robotics

The Mk 1 actually began life in the world of prosthetics. HDT had teamed up with the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins on a DARPA sponsored project to improve prosthetics for combat veterans. Johns Hopkins focused on the interface – how the brain could communicate with the prosthetic. HDT focused on achieving a light prosthetic that approached the real capabilities of a human arm.

“This effort gave us a big leg up in robotics capability,” said Dr. Tom van Doren, the COO of HDT Robotics. “Now we’re spinning the tech out, and the result is compact, lightweight, high strength robotic systems for manipulators. The design lets us combine human dexterity plus reasonable pricing.”

What’s the result of all that focus on dexterity in a robotic arm? Well – see for yourself.

For the military, the initial applications for the robot are pretty obvious – disarming bombs, getting IEDs out of the way – anything that involves putting a person in harm’s way. The dexterity of the robot makes it a good candidate to help save the lives of soldiers.

In civilian life, the fact that the robots are compact and lightweight make them ideal for manufacturing applications where you can’t use robots now, because the robots are too heavy or dangerous to use in areas where people are working. By contrast, says Van Doren, the Mk 1 can be safely used in workspaces with humans.

A Modular Approach

If you delve into a lot of military history, or have played the Civilization games, you know that one of the major advances in military technology were weapons created with interchangeable parts. Once upon a time, guns were unique – made by hand by a gunsmith. If something went wrong with the weapon, it either had to be sent back for expert repair or scrapped. But once guns were made with interchangeable parts to spec, they were much easier to repair by anyone with a little bit of training.

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